Scandinavian countries have seen strong growth thanks to the rise in interest around the ‘Hygge’ lifestyle.

Namibia and the Philippines set to be popular destinations in 2019 as Europeans look further afield

Barcelona, 15th January, 2019 – For the third year in a row eDreams ODIGEO, Europe’s largest online travel company, releases its data on how travellers are booking their trips, where they have been going and which countries look set to be on itineraries for 2019.

The industry has seen a huge rise in the number of customers choosing to research and select their travel on mobile and today’s European Traveller Insights Report shows that there is no sign that is slowing down. The mobile remains the ultimate travel companion, indeed more than two fifths (42%) of eDreams ODIGEO’s customers are now choosing to book that way compared to 28% in the European travel sector. Customisation continues to be important, with a 28% year-on-year increase of travellers opting to choose packages of both hotels and flights which work best for them.

Russia, the Nordics and regained trust

An incredible year of football saw Russia as one of the top growth countries for European travellers – fans contributed to a massive 51% increase in passenger volume over the course of 2018. Since the World Cup, tournament organisers have said that hosting the event added more than 14.5 billion US$ to the Russian economy – more than one per cent of the country’s GDP.

Nordic countries have seen impressive growth, with Finland and Denmark both making their way into the top ten. The 40% increase in European travellers heading to Finland aligns with government statistics on the country’s steady growth in visitor numbers, while Denmark saw a 15% rise as the hype around the ‘Hygge’ lifestyle attracts travellers to the region.

Encouragingly, countries which have experienced the impact of terrorism and political turbulence have started to regain travellers’ trust, combined with an appetite to get the best value for money. For example, in 2018, both Tunisia and Egypt saw a rise in growth with a 15% and 21% increase respectively.

While shorter trips (those spanning 3-4 days) make up 28% of bookings with eDreams ODIGEO, the availability of affordable prices for long-haul travel has been a key driver for travellers exploring further afield. For example, in 2018, four new routes from Paris Orly Airport to Montreal, New York, Guadeloupe and Martinique were announced in response to the demand for low-cost, long-haul flights, as well as new routes between London and Rio (due to open later in 2019) and Madrid to New York. Weaker currencies – meaning travellers can get more value for their money-,increased security, and the promise of days full of sunshine are driving tourists to alternative destinations, with the trend continuing into 2019.

Looking forward

Early indications suggest that European travellers are setting their sights out of the continent when booking trips, with six out of the top ten booking growth destinations located outside the continent. This includes far-flung locations such as the Philippines (+40%) and Namibia (+43%), pointing to customers continuing to take advantage of the affordable prices of long-haul journeys offered by new low-cost airlines.

The fall of the Turkish Lira has proven to be a major pull factor for tourists, as holidays to the country continue to offer incredible value. Nordic countries will continue to attract high levels of European tourists in 2019, with Kittila in Finland and Bergen in Norway taking second and third place respectively.

As well as the continued move to mobile, consumers will continue to search for personalised packages in 2019 and look for the best deals that will allow them to get the most value out of their trips.

Dana Dunne, CEO of eDreams ODIGEO, said: “In our third annual European Traveller Insight Report we look at the key trends from the past year in the online travel market and the future of the industry. Emerging technology within the travel industry is continuing to help transform the customers experience of researching and booking travel. At eDreams ODIGEO we are continuously improving our service to customers through innovation and investment in emerging technology.

As we see more people using mobile devices to organise their trips it is vital that we stay ahead, in September we hosted an international event to demonstrate our investment in personalisation through technology. With one of the largest technology teams in Europe, we are embracing the challenge and look forward to enabling our customers to create their perfect trip.”

–ENDS-

About eDreams ODIGEO

eDreams ODIGEO is one of the world’s largest online travel companies and one of the largest European e-commerce businesses. Under its leading online travel agency brands – eDreams, GO Voyages, Opodo, Travellink, and the metasearch engine Liligo – it offers the best deals in regular flights, low-cost airlines, hotels, cruises, car rental, dynamic packages, holiday packages and travel insurance to make travel easier, more accessible, and better value for the more than 18.5 million customers it serves across 43 markets. eDreams ODIGEO is listed in the Spanish Stock Market.

Report methodology

The eDreams ODIGEO European Traveller Insights Report 2018 is based on booking data from the company’s online travel agency brands (eDreams, Opodo, Go Voyages and Travellink) from major European markets made between two time frames – January 2017 to September 2017, and January 2018 to September 2018 – unless otherwise stated.

The main European markets are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy and the UK.